Steering and governing mechanism for motor-cars.



D. H. GOLES. STEERING AND GOVERNING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLIOATION'IILBD JULY 31, 1908.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909,

19i hwoozo w a. n t w .5 a

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

DAVID H. OOLES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

STEERING AND GOVERNING LECEANISM FOR MOTOBCARS;

, Specification of Letters Patent.

latented March 2, 19.09.

Application filed July 31, 1908. Serial No. 446,817.

To'all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, DAVID. H. COLES, of Brooklyn, New Y ork,.have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steering and Governing Mechanism for Motor-Cars, which i improvement is fullysetforth in the follow- I means whereby a given movement of the I steering wheel or other steering device will in a given unit of time produce-approximately the same deviation from a straight line at various speeds.

In my rior applications for steering mechanisms or self-, ropelled vehicles, Serial Number 41 1,996, f ed January 21st, 1908, and

Serial Number 431,845,1iled May 9th, 1908, I have described and claimed devices of the above character in which a lever is interposed between the steering wheel or other means for controlling the steering mechanism and the steering front wheels of automobiles, and is so arranged that the relative lengths of the two arms of the lever may be changed or varied with the increase or decrease in the speed of the vehicle, to the end that said lever shall operate to turn the wheels at a less angle when the machine-is moving at a high rate of speed than when it is moving at a low rate of speed, even through the steering wheel or other corresponding control device is shifted to substantially the same extent in both cases. v p

In accordance withmy'present invention, I regulate the-action of the steering device by action of the change speed mechanism in combination with a throttle and spark con trolling means, commonly denoted as the accelerator, whereby any change of speed, due,

for example, to the change of low to high speed gear or due to movement of the accelerating device while the engine is on high or low speed gear, will act on the steering device to properly regulate its action to cause a given movement of the steering wheel or other steering device in a given unit of time to produce approximately the same deviation from a straight line at various speeds.

- While the chan e speed mechanism cooperates with the acce crating device to effect the results-above stated, either device is capable of independent operation or ma be used in combination, in accordance wit my invention.

With my present movement applied to a motor car, every movement of the change speed device or. of the accelerating device willaffect the steering lever mechanism which controls the front steering wheels,

thereby avoiding excessive; deviations from the line of travel when the machine is moving at high rates of speed.

The inventive idea involved is capable of expression in a variety of mechanical structures, one of which, for the purpose of illustratin the invention, will be hereinafter specifical y described and then pointed out in the claims, but it-is to be understoodthat' such drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not desi nod to define or limit the scope of the invention, reference bein had to t e claims'for that purpose.- in said drawingsFigure 1 is a broken elevational view, partly in section showing the forward part of the frame an steering mechanism of an automobile to which my improvement is applied; Fi 2 is an enlarged detail showing parts of the device in perspective; and Fi 3 is a plan view taken on the line 33 of ig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of an automobile, 2 the front axle thereof, and 3 the front wheels, which as usual, are connected to the axle so as to have angular adjustment with relation thereto for the purpose of steering the vehicle, said angu ar adjustment being secured through a lever 4 rigid with the spindle upon which the wheels turn, and which is connected b suit able means to the steering wheel 5'. n, the present instance'this means consists of a'link 6 turning in the end of lever 4 and the steering rod 7 pivotally connected to link Sand having at its opposite extremity an enlarged eye member 8 provided with anti-friction rollers 9, between which is received a steering lever 10 forming a part of or integral with a geared segment 11 pivotally mounted on a part of the frame and engaging a worm gear.

ed on the top of this lever is a pedal 16 nor; mally depressed in the direction of its lower end, by means of aspring 17,and provided with means for locking If. at-any desired position, such as by means of a plate 18 havmg perforations for receiving a in or projectin member 19 on the eda 16. One arm 0 the throttle lever 14 islengthened to receive a sleeve 20 which is preventedfrom slipping off the lever arm by means of a head 21 screwed .on the end of the lever arm. Pivotally connected to this sleeve 20 is a link 22 which engages one arm of bell crank lever 23, the other arm of the bell crank having a link connection 24 with the end of steering rod 7, to which it is pivotally connected. The bell crank lever is preferably formed with an obtuse angle to better enable an extended movement of the link 24 in raising and lowering theend of the steering lever 7. Also connected with the sleeve 20 is the change gear lever 25 through a link 26 pivoted to one arm of a bell crank lever 27, the other arm of the bell crank bein connected through a link 28 with the orange gear lever 25.

The 0 eration of the device as thus far describe is as followsz-VVith the parts as shown in Fi 1, the car is moving at a low speed, and t e engine is working on the low Speed gear.- Assuming that it 1s desired to increase the s eed of the car by means of the accelerator w ich operates thethrottle valve, the forward end of the pedal 16 is depressed, thereby releasing the catch or locking pin 19 and the lever 14 is pressed forward, thereby opening the throttle valve through its connections therewith. This movement of the lever 14 throws its lower arm to the rear, thereby carrying with it sleeve 20, which,

- reason of its link connection 26 with be crank 27, which latter is locked by the change gear lever 25, is'forced outward or downward on the lever arm 14, carrying with it link 22, and thereby tilting bell crank 23 to the left and raising the outer end of steering arm 7 to shift the latter on the lever arm 10, and decreasing the leverage of the steering device. By thus shortening the effective length of the lever arm 10, a given movement of the steering wheel 5 will in a iven unit of time thus roduce approximately the same deviation om a straight line as when the car was movin at its low speed. In like'manner, contro of the steering mechanism issecured when the speed of the car is varied by changing thespeed gear, as for instance; when the engine is running on low gear and the throttle va ve is part-wa open, as shown in Fig. 1.- The engine may e speeded higher by throwing the change gear lever 25 forward. In response to this change of, gear, the leverage of the steering mechanism is diminished by the upward shifting of the end of the steering rod 7 on lever arm. 10. This is effected by the downward movement of sleeve 20 caused by the tilting of bell crank lever 27 to the rightby the forward thrust of change gear lever 25. Link 26 is thereby forced down or i l l l l i l l l l the arm of lever 14 to take a position there on farther from the fulcrum of the lever. Through link 22, bell crank lever 23 and link 24, this movement lifts the end of steering rod 7 on the steering lever to thereby change the leverage of the steering mechanism to correspond to the increased speed of the vehicle.

When the engine is running-on high gear andfurther change of speed is effected by opening the throttle by action of the accelerating device, it is desirable that proportionally greater changes inleverage of the steering lever 10 be made than when the accelerator is shifted on low gear to secure the desired angulation of the steering wheels. It will be apparent from what precedes that a given angular movement of the accelerating lever 14 will cause sleeve 20 to move through a longer arc the farther it is removed from the fulcrum support of the lever 14. A displacement of the pedal end of lever 14 one notch, for example, measured on plate 18 swings the lower arm of lever 14, and with it sleeve 20, through a shorter are when in low speed gear position-than when in high speed gear position. Bell crank lever 23 will he therefore tilted through a greater angle by this cause alone in the latter case than in the former, and hence the end of steering rod 7 Will be shifted proportionally farther for accelerator changes in high speed than for like changes in low speed, as it is apparent it should be.

The control of the steering mechanism by my improvement is equally effective irrespective of whether the speed of the vehicle increases or decreases, and whether the change is effected through the action of the change speed gear or of the accelerator. While I have described the accelerator as com rising tln'ottle-controlling means and spar :-controlling means, my improvement is equally serviceable with either of these devlces. v

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in proportions and relative arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and all such changes are designed and intended to be included in my claims.

What I claim is 1. In steering mechanism for self propelled vehicles having wheels which are turned to effect, the steering thereof, the

combination of steering mechanismto effect combination withsuch wheels, of a manually operable power device, lever mechanism transmitting power from saiddevice to said wheels to effect the steering movement, engine-controllin means, and meansoperated y said control 'ng means varying the leverage of said lever mechanism according to speed variations of the vehicle.

3. In steering mechanism for self propelled vehicles having wheels which are turned to effect the steering thereof, the

combination with such wheels, of a manually operable power device, levermechanism transmitting power from' said device to said wheels to effect the steering movement, en-

gine controlling. means, a slidable member iaving a connection to said lever mechanism and actuated by said engine controlling means to" vary the leverage of said lever mechanism according to speed variations of the vehicle. e

4. In steering mechanism for self propelledvehicles having wheels which are turned to effect the steering thereof, the combination with such wheels, of a manually operable power device, lever mechanism transmitting ower from said device to saidwhcels to e ect the steering movement, change gear operating means, throttle-operating means, and means operated by said two'last named means varying the leverage of said lever mechanism according to speed variations of the vehicle.

5. In steering mechanism for selfpropelled vehicles having wheels which are turned to effect the steering thereof, the combination with such wheels, of a manually operable power device, lever mechanism transmitting power fromsaid device so said wheels to effect the steering movement, a throttle controlling lever, a sleeve on one arm of said lever slidable on the same and means transmitting the movement of specification in the said sleeve to said lever mechanism to vary 7 the leverage of the latter according to speed variations of the vehicle.

' 6. In steering mechanism for self propelled vehicles having wheels which are turned to effect the steerin thereof, the combination with such whee s, of a manually mechanism according to speed variations of the vehicle.

7. In'steering mechanism for self ,.propelled vehicles having wheels which 'are turned to effect the steerin thereof, the combination with such whee s, of a manually operable power device, lever mechanism transmitting power from said device to said wheels to effect the steering movement, a throttle-operating lever provided with a slidable'member thereon, speed gear means in operative relation to said member to cause said member to position on said lever according to changes of the speed gear, and connecting means between said member and said lever mechanism for changing the leverage of the latter mechanism to a greater extent for a given movement of the throttleoperating lever when said slidable member is in high gear osition than in low gear position on said t rottle lever. I

In "testimony whereof I have signed this presence of two subscrib- DAVID H. COLES. Witnesses C. A, L. MASSIE, RALPH L. SooTT.

ing witnesses. 

